A tapas restaurant is turning up the heat with a £70,000 expansion, creating six jobs and adding a larger 40-cover venue after revenue at its original site doubled over two years.
Calvo Loco, which has operated in Exeter for seven years, is taking over the former Wine Hub at 32 The Strand, Exmouth.
According to the business, its Exeter restaurant is regularly fully booked and is currently trading at a turnover of more than £700,000 a year.
Calvo Loco owner Mikey Betts said customers already travel from Exmouth and the surrounding area to visit the Exeter restaurant, while the business also has a commitment to using local suppliers.
Mikey said: “We’re really particular about where our ingredients come from.
“If the best version of something comes from Spain, we’ll source it from Spain.
“If we can get something just as good or better here in Devon, particularly fresh produce, meat or seafood, we’ll use local suppliers.
“It’s about choosing the best ingredient for the dish rather than sourcing from somewhere simply because it sounds good on a menu.”
He continued: “Exmouth has a brilliant mix of local residents and visitors, a growing food and drink scene and a real buzz throughout the summer, while still having a strong year-round community.
“When the opportunity came up for a site right in the heart of the town, we felt it was too good to pass up.
“It’s significantly bigger than Exeter, which gives us the opportunity to take everything people love about Calvo Loco – great tapas, cocktails, music and a lively, informal atmosphere – and see what we can do with it on a larger scale.
“We don’t want Exmouth to feel like a copy of Exeter.
“We want it to have the same Calvo Loco personality but become its own restaurant and a genuine part of the Exmouth community.”
Calvo Loco, which means “crazy bald man”, a name inherited from its previous owner, specialises in Spanish-inspired tapas.
The business expects locally sourced seafood to feature regularly on the specials board at the Exmouth restaurant because of its coastal location.
Existing suppliers include Baily & Sons butchers in Torquay and Kingfisher at Brixham Fish Market, while the team also hopes to develop relationships with producers and businesses in Exmouth.
Mikey said: “It would be crazy to open a Spanish restaurant this close to the Devon coast and not make the most of the seafood available to us.
“The Spanish side gives us the flavours, techniques and specialist ingredients that make the food authentic, while Devon gives us access to brilliant fresh produce, meat and particularly seafood.
“The idea is Spanish cooking with the best ingredients we can get our hands on, whether they’ve travelled from Andalucía or a few miles down the Devon coast.”
Calvo Loco dishes including patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo, meatballs and aubergine fritters will feature at the new restaurant alongside new specials.
The team is also developing whole fish and sharing dishes, including a surf and turf platter of picanha steak and grilled octopus.
A set-price Taste of Spain option is also planned, allowing diners to leave the choice of tapas to the kitchen, with optional wine pairings and sherry flights.
Six jobs have already been created at the restaurant, with further recruitment expected as the business grows.
The kitchen will be led by chefs Kayne Smale and Winston Fearnley, while several members of the existing Calvo Loco team will work across both restaurants.
Mikey said: “Calvo Loco is all about great food without any of the formality.
“It’s lively and a little bit chaotic in the best possible way – tables full of tapas, cocktails flowing, good music playing and a real buzz around the room.
“We want people to come in for a quick bite and end up staying for the evening.”
The business says building a year-round following will be central to the new restaurant despite Exmouth’s popularity with tourists.
Mikey added: “We’d much rather become somebody’s favourite neighbourhood restaurant that they visit throughout the year than somewhere that’s only busy for a few months every summer.
“If, a year from now, we have Exmouth regulars who know the team, the team know them and people think of Calvo Loco as one of their favourite places in town, we’ll consider that a success.”
The 40-cover restaurant will initially welcome walk-ins from Thursday, August 20, ahead of an official launch on Thursday, August 27.
Bookings will open on Friday, August 28 and will be available through the Calvo Loco website and OpenTable, as well as by telephone on 01395 341026 and email at info@calvolocotapas.co.uk.
Calvo Loco Exmouth will initially open from Wednesday to Sunday from midday until late, with the potential to extend to seven days a week.
Plans for outdoor seating are also being developed, subject to licensing approval.
Dining and Cooking